Apparatus for producing compressed air for obtaining vibratory air movements therefrom



y 1953 w. BERNARDONI 2,645,904

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COMPRESSED AIR FOR OBTAINING VIBRATORY AIR movmnn'rs THEREFROM Y Filed Feb. 21, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet -l 00...)... Q C... OIIIQOQQ. II...

y 1953 w. BERNARDONI 2,645,904-

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COMPRESSED AIR FOR OBTAINING VIBRATORY AIR MOVEMENTS THEREFROM Filed Feb. 21, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 21, 1953 w. BERNARDONI 2,645,904

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COMPRES AIR FOR OBTAINING VIBRATORY AIR MOVEMENT HEREFROM Filed Feb. 21, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 iQT-QL .20

| 1 11/ [III 11 k Patented July 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING COIVIPRESSED AIR FOR OBTAINING VIBRATORY AIR MOVEMENTS THEREFROM Walter Bernardoni, Rome, Italy Application February 21, 1943, Serial No. 10,124

In Italy August a, 1947 the cause of quick wear of the bronze bush or of the ball-bearing upon which the shaft is suspended.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to devise a system for the transmission of the motion to the piston of the compressing cylinder, which does away with the drawbacks above mentioned, for it ensures a great elasticity in the connections particularly adapted to transmit the very high speeds implied thereby. It is also an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid nature which is of simplified and sturdy construction, has relatively few parts and ensures prolonged use without getting easily out of order.

It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid type for operating automatic needles for mending hosiery and,

similar goods, which apparatus is very compact and houses the vital elements thereof, namely, the generator for producing compressed air, a. small electric motor therefor and, if necessary, an electric current transformer.

It is another feature of the invention to provide a streamlined cover or closure for the apparatus which encloses the moving parts of the apparatusymade of a suitable material light in weight, has a pleasant outer appearance and protects all elements which perform movements so as to eliminate possible injury to the operator.

It is still another feature of the invention to provide an apparatus of the aforesaid type which includes an electric motor for actuating the generator for compressed air which consists of a cylinder in which a reciprocating piston works and a follower with ball bearing moves, the same being displaced by a cam keyed to the axis of change of speed of the operating'needle without interrupting the operation of the apparatus.

5 Claims. (01. 6062.6) V

other.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a memberof simple andsafe operation, which might serve contemporaneously, for the adjustment of the inlet of compressed air'into the duct which conveys it tothe operating needles and for the suction into the compressing cylinder of the air to be compressed. 7

' Another object of the invention isto provide the possibility of deriving from the compressing cylinder two pipes at two opposite ends of said cylinder in order to control by compressed air two operating needles independent from each These and other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying draw- 'of the invention.

ing which discloses, "by way of example, the principle of the invention and preferred modes which have been contemplated'for applying said prine,

'valve shown in two different'positions as employed according to this invention;

Fig. 8 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line VIII,-VIII of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line IXIX of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 shows a second form of embodiment Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Fig. 4 anapparatus [0 having a cover H and a base [2, the latter being aifix'ed to cover H by means of screw bolts l3,

as indicated in Fig. 5. As can be seen from Figs.

, 1 to 3 inclusive, cover I I has a somewhat streammotor 15 which is supported by traverse 39 fixed of screws 41.

to twoprojections 40 of the-cover H by means In its upper portion, the motor bears against rib 49 of cover I I. If necessary, there may be applied to motor I5 a transformer I6 whichis fixed to the lateral sides of cover I1. I

To transformer aggregate 7 [6 electric current enlarged, fragmentary, sectional face by means of screws 45.

e fixed by means of screws 46 two members 41 ma one piece with the cylinder 25. Hence, the latte held in its'rightposition in r 3 may be supplied by.m eans of a cable l1. A suitable socket I8 is indicated at one end of apparatus ID for connection with a power line for supplying electric current to the transformer I 6 and/or motor [5.

As can be further seen from Fig. 5, motor has a shaft l9 which carries on a portion thereof a cam which extends in the direction of and is fixed to said shaft [9 by means of a set screw 2|. As can be seen from Figs. 5 and ;8 to the anterior surface 42 of motor l5is fitted supporting ring 43, spaced from motor surface 42 by means of spacers 44 'andfixed to 'thesaid To supporting ring the interior of cohagfainst which itbears at the level of its upper bo der& Within-cylinder a piston 26 having opposite en faces moves to and fro, which includes a cam follo -21. In-a suitable recess 28 of follower 2.7, which recess is located intermediate said end faces of said piston, there is mounted a ball bearing 29 which-engages projection .30 of cam or eccentric 20. Such ball-bearing canaccomplish within the recess 28 a reciprocating motion, within arpl' a ne perpendicular to the cross-section shown in Figi 5. It will thus be apparent, that upon rotation of motor shaft 19 cam 20 will be actuated and in a recess of follower 21 and in a plane per- :1.

pendicular to the cross-section ofFig. 5. as

Connected to cylinder :25 and below piston head 26a, there is provided a tube 32 extending with its connecting end through an opening 33 of cover ll. Tube 32 is equipped with a tap-or valve 34 having a manually operable, knurled knob 35 for a purpose hereinafter to be more fully described.

As seen in Figs. 6 and 7, tap or valve 34 on theone hand connects with the interior of cylinder 25 and tube 32 and, on the other hand, is in connection with the atmosphere through a suitable passagewayor opening-36 which is somewhatsmaller than opening 31, providing a passageway between the interior of cylinder 25 and tube 32. 'It will thus become apparent that upon movement f the piston head 25a in the direction of arrow A, fresh air will be supplied to the interior of cylinder 25 in accordance with arrows B and C. On its return stroke in the direction of arrow D, piston head 26a compresses the air previously sucked into the cylinder 25 andpushes said compressed air through tube 32 in the direction of arrows E and F, while only a .small and negligible amount of compressed air will escape through opening 38. If it is desired to vary the amount of air to be compressed or to be supplied to the cylinder 25 and tube 32, respectively, the turning of knurled knob 35 will change the cross-section of passageway 36 so that the pressure and quantity of air pushed by piston head 28a through tube 32 will be readily modified. This changed supply of compressed air is indicated in Fig. 7 by arrows E and F.

As is well known in the art, a rubber tube (not shown) may be connected to the undulated end of tube 32 which connects with an oscillating needle (not shown).

The apparatus according to this invention has the particular advantage that the shifting speed \through perforations or openings hereinabovepointedout may be readily modified to maktthe cylinder and piston 2526 doubleacting, whereby for examples, two needles may :bepperated during to-and-fro movements of the piston 26, Such apparatus has been illustrated in Fig.10, in which otherwise the parts are designated by the same reference numerals as employedin connection with Figs. 5 to 8.

Fresh air may be supplied to passageway 35 [4 and/or opening 38 provided in the hood or cover ll of the appara us, (Fig. 3).

As many possiblemmbodiments of the above invention may be made, tar-arias many changes might be made in. the emboilirnenlabcve set forth, it is to be understood that afl ma tters hereinbef-ore disclosed or shown in the acc5mpanyingdrawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

i, In an apparatus for the production of compressed air serving to control automatic needles to mend stockings and like knitted fabrics; the comb-ina'ion of a housing, a motor having a shaft and supported within said housing, an air.- compression cylinder closed at oneend and disposed within said housing, a reciprocable piston -within said cylinder, said piston being provided with. a recess, coupling means extending from -said motor shaft to said piston whereby reciprocable movement may be imparted to said piston from said motor, ball hearing within said recess and movable relatively to said piston, said coupling means including .a cam fixed to said shaft and extending into said ball bearing in. said recess, tube means connected to said cylinder and communicating with a space defined by said piston and said one end of said cylinder, and adjusting mean inserted in said .tube means to regulate contemporaneously compressed air from said cylinder and supply of air to said cylinder.

2. An apparatus for the production of compressed air-serving to control automatic needles to mend stockings and like knitted fabrics, com-- prising a'base, a cover for said base and forming a housing with the latter. a motor having a shaft and supported within said housing, an air compression cylinder disposed within housing, a piston within said cylinder. said piston being provided with a recess, cam means extending from said motor shaft into said piston recess whereby reciprocable movement may be imparted through said means from said motor shaft to said piston, ball bearing means seated within said recess and movable relatively to said piston, said cam means being supported by said ball bearing means in said recess, tube means connected to said cylinder at at least one of the ends of the latter, and adjustable means inserted in said tube means to regulate contempora- 5 neously compressed air from said cylinder and supply of air to said cylinder.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cylinder extends in substantially perpendicular direction to said motor shaft.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said adjustable means includes two angularly directed passageways movable within said tube means, the diameter of one of said passageways being larger than the diameter of the other passageway;

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said cylinder and said piston extend substantially perpendicular to said motor shaft, said recess being located intermediate opposite end faces of said piston, said tube means being con- 6 nected to said cylinder at opposite ends thereof and communicating with respective spaces defined by the end faces of said piston and the contiguousends, respectively, of said cylinder.

WALTER BERNARDONI.

Number Name Date 671,505 Winsor Apr. 9, 1901 1,397,914 Augustin et al. Nov. 22, 1921 1,698,419 Wappler Jan. 8, 1929 1,789,618 Cobb Jan. 20, 1931 2,079,952 Sahlin May 11, 1937 2,292,527 Kraft Aug. 11, 1942 

